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Curious About Enneagram Type 6? Here's Everything To Know About This Personality

Author:

Sarah Regan

December 22, 2023

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

By Sarah Regan

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.

Image by mbg Creative x Koldunov / iStock

December 22, 2023

From the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to the Big 5 personality assessment, who doesn't love a good personality test? The Enneagram is another popular personality system that categorizes people into one of nine types based on how you answer a series of introspective questions.

As for type 6's, these people are the loyalists of the Enneagram. Here's everything you should be aware of if you (or someone you know) is a 6.

Enneagram 6: The Loyalist

A depiction of the Enneagram symbol, which is a nine-pointed figure.

Image by Charlotte Benes / mbg Creative

Core fear: Insecurity
Core desire: Safety
Core coping strategy: Projection (AKA attributing your own undesired emotions or traits to someone else)
Enneagram 6 wings: 6w5 and 6w7

Type 6's, or the "Loyalists" of the Enneagram, prioritize feeling safe and secure in the world. They have a way of focusing on worst-case scenarios, so they get a reputation for being scaredy-cats—but in truth, they can actually be quite brave when it really counts, especially with regard to a cause they care about.

"Experts of preparation, 6's are always on a lookout for what could go wrong," explains Enneagram coach Jay Martynov, adding, "The Loyalist type of stress can be triggered by [anticipating] an upcoming event or a situation they have not encountered before."

And according to Enneagram educator and relationship coach Julie Nguyen tells mindbodygreen, type 6's may also lack an internal compass they can trust on. "As a result, they tend to feel anxious, reactive, worried and unmoored—and they look for a steady foundation to stand on. They tend to look for systems, structures, established beliefs, and trusted friends to establish safety and reassurance" she explains.

For this type, their greatest fear is fear itself, and namely being without any support or guidance to confront those fears. Because of this, Nguyen notes, they can definitely be worry-warts, but it simultaneously makes them excellent troubleshooters.

"They're seen as the underdog. They desire your safety trust, loyalty, and security—and they tend to be considered one of the most contradictory signs in the Enneagram," Nguyen adds.

Enneagram 6 wings:

The Enneagram wings are the two numbers on either side of one type, and many people (but not all!) will display a unique combination of their dominant type with aspects of one of the wings more so than the other.

6w5:

According to Nguyen, an Enneagram 6 with the five wing will typically have an intellectual bent. "This translates to maybe having more of an introverted personality, and/or an introverted way of problem solving, where they take in the 5's analytical nature and use knowledge and information as ways to mitigate their fear and anxiety," she explains.

6w7:

With a 6w7 Enneagram type, Nguyen tells mindbodygreen, these people tend to infuse optimism and positivity into their personality. "They're very social, driven by activity, and they use positive framing as a way to manage their fear and anxiety, and also tend to really love big groups and cooperation," she says.

Enneagram 6 celebrities & characters

Marilyn Monroe
Prince Harry
Mark Twain
Sarah Jessica Parker
Princess Diana
Kristen Stewart
Jennifer Aniston
Ben Affleck
Ellen Degeneres
Daniel Craig
Bruce Springsteen
Eminem
Britney Spears
J.R.R. Tolkien
Ron Weasley from Harry Potter
Zuko from Avatar the Last Airbender
Mulan from Mulan
Dwight Schrute from The Office
Gretchen Wieners from Mean Girls

Enneagram 6 strengths & weaknesses

Strengths

Loyal
Responsible
Good at planning & preparing
Good at trouble shooting
Trustworthy
Dependable
Hard-working
Cooperative
Analytical
Thoughtful

Weaknesses

Skeptical
Worrisome
Anxious
Indecisive
Can be overly reliant on others

Enneagram 6 levels of development

As Nguyen tells mindbodygreen, all the Enneagram types go through different stages of development, which can range between healthy, average, and unhealthy. "And it's common to toggle between these different stages based on the personal development you're doing yourself, the life events you're going through, and if there are any stressors," she adds.

Healthy levels

In the healthy stage of development, type 6's are able to find their own inner guidance and trust themselves, according to Nguyen. This helps them resolve their insecurity, she says, so they're able to "go between both independence and collaboration with ease."

Average levels

During a more average level of development, Nguyen tells mindbodygreen that type 6's tend to find and look for security through systems, structures, and alliances. They're more secure than the unhealthy level, but still require that quintessential 6 stability.

Unhealthy levels

At an unhealthy level of development, an Enneagram 6's weaknesses will be on full display. According to Nguyen, this looks like excessive anxiousness, extreme suspicion to the point of paranoia, or a high degree of doubt (in themselves and/or others).

Enneagram 6 compatibility & relationships

In their relationships, Enneagram 6's make reliable, dependable, and loyal partners who will be there for you through thick and thin. According to Nguyen, you can always count on a 6 partner, as they're trustworthy, thoughtful, and always prepared.

"They care deeply about nurturing their connections to their loved ones, with a warm presence that feels akin to a safe harbor for their partners to return home to," Nguyen says, adding that 6's want that stability and warmth to be reciprocated.

And if it's not, she says, their fear of being abandoned could likely come up. "They can overcompensate in being hypervigilant in forecasting future problems," she says, further making them skeptical, risk-averse, and insecure. They may also require constant reassurance, since they place faith in other systems and people instead of themselves she adds.

If you're dating a 6, according to Nguyen, it's going to be important to stay steady in the face of their fears and concerns so they know they can lean on them for support. "6's appreciate partners who listen to their anxious thoughts and encourage them to find their own inner guidance," she adds.

In terms of compatibility, it's important to note that any two Enneagram types can make a relationship work if they're both committed to understanding each other and growing together. However, Nguyen says, she tends to see Enneagram 6's pair well with Enneagram 9's.

It's a complementary and solid pairing, she says, because the accommodating 9's have a generally peaceful and calm presence, which soothes the 6's perpetual doubts. In return, she adds, "the 6's bring unquestioned loyalty and predictability to the mix, while animating the 9's to come forward and engage with life."

Enneagram 6 misconception

According to Nguyen, the biggest misconception around Enneagram 6's is that they are mainly anxious and scared. They are security-driven, yes, but they're also the type marked with the most contradiction.

"Even though they can be anxious and fearful, counterphobic 6's can appear fearlessly brave when it really matters. They can turn away from their anxiety and toward courage when they're fighting for something they really care about," she explains.

How to thrive as an Enneagram 6

According to Enneagram educator and author of The Enneagram & You, Gina Gomez, Enneagram 6's benefit from empowering workouts that help them get out of their worrying mind and into their bodies.

As she previously wrote for mindbodygreen, because they're so suspicious and spend a great deal of time worrying about future outcomes, empowering workouts can help build their confidence (i.e. kickboxing or long-distance running). "These types of skill-building activities could help them gain a sense of how strong and accomplished they can be. It would also encourage them to trust in their inherent abilities," she explains.

And as Martynov adds, while preparing for the situation is useful, 6's need to couple their plans with the mantra: I will do my best to prepare, and the rest is up to the universe. "In other words, 6's need to define their readiness criteria so it does not become a moving target; Otherwise, it will lead to exhaustion," he says.

When it comes to this type's fears and doubts, Nguyen tells mindbdoygreen that it's really important to build trust within themselves and look inside for guidance, confidence, and affirmation, rather than relying on everybody else. However, Martynov adds, there's nothing wrong with having a circle of trusted friends who can ground and reassure 6's in challenging moments.

FAQs:

What does Enneagram Type 6 mean?

Type 6's, or the "Loyalists" of the Enneagram, prioritize feeling safe and secure in the world. Their core fear is insecurity, and their core coping strategy is projection.

Is 6 a rare Enneagram?

No, Enneagram 6 is not rare. Relative to the other types, it's actually one of the more common types.

What are the struggles of Enneagram 6?

The struggles of the Enneagram 6 include being overly reliant on others, as well as being skeptical, indecisive, and worrisome.

Who are Enneagram 6 attracted to?

Enneagram 6's are attracted to people who appear strong, secure, stable, and/or powerful, because 6's crave safety and stability.

The takeaway

No Enneagram type is better or worse than another, each with its own strengths and weaknesses that play out in the individual depending on how mature they are. When it comes to 6's, there's certainly room to be a bit more self-reliant—but ultimately, these are loyal, hard-working, and thoughtful people who know how to cooperate and prepare.